Pathankot, February 6The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari
Vajpayee, today cautioned all those, including the Congress, against playing up the coffin case as it would demoralise the defence forces. He maintained that his government would never cover up any of its “misdeeds”.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee greets people by raising a sword at an election rally in Ferozepore on Wednesday. Mr Parkash Singh Badal and the BJP President, Mr B.L. Rinwa, are also seen in the picture.
— Tribune Photo Karam Singh

Minister’s kin opens fire, 1 deadBandh in BhikhiwindBhikhiwind, February 6One migrant, Ali Sher Khan, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, was killed on the spot while two sustained injuries when Gurpartap Singh
Kairon, brother of Mr Adeshpartap Singh Kairon, who is a candidate of the ruling Akali Dal and son-in-law of Mr Parkash Singh
Badal, Chief Minister and two others allegedly opened fire in front of the police station here this afternoon.

A view of the protest dharna, traffic jam at Bhikiwind (Amritsar) after a firing incident in which one person was
killed.
— Photo Rajiv Sharma

5 Jaish ultras gunned downSrinagar, February 6Five ultras of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, one of them a district commander, were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Khori forests in the Lolab area of Kupwara district today.

Tricolour with black wheelJaipur, February 6Days after the government permitted everyone to fly the Tricolour, a government employee here is a disappointed man since the flag he bought from an authorised khadi shop was distorted.
The question now being raised by Mr Gyan Prakash Qamra is whether the khadi shops are insulting national honour by selling distorted national flags?

Trilateral efforts possible: KremlinMoscow, February 6The Kremlin says there are clearer prospects of trilateral cooperation between Moscow, New Delhi and Beijing even as Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov — fresh from his visit to India — denies any plans to form any axis or bloc of the three countries.

Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes with Deputy
Prime Minister of Russia Ilya Klebanov in New Delhi on Wednesday.
— PTI Photo

Indo-US naval exercises to be revivedNew Delhi, February 6India and the USA today announced revival of Malabar series of joint naval exercises suspended after New Delhi conducted Pokhran nuclear tests.

Omar Sheikh behind Pearl kidnap?London, February 6Crucial new evidence has surfaced to link the kidnapping of US journalist Daniel Pearl to the September 11 terror attacks, according to well-placed intelligence sources.
The breakthrough in information came with the arrest of three suspected accomplices of Omar Sheikh, one of the three terrorists released after the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight IC 814 from Kathmandu in December, 1999.